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How much did we lose with RVP’s delayed treatment?

Timeline:November 14, 2009: Robin Van Persie sustains an ankle injury against Italy in a friendly.November 15, 2009: Dutch medical authorities based on a preliminary assessment suggests that Van Persie’s injury is not severe and predict a 4-6 week lay off.November 17, 2009: Arsenal permits Van Persie to fly to Serbia to seek Marijana Kovacevic’s placenta treatment for healing his ligament injury.November 22, 2009: Van Persie returns to Arsenal where the medical team reassesses his MRI scans and concludes that his injury is far more severe. A Dutch specialist concurs with the revised diagnosis.The time out for a full recovery is now stretched to a shocking 5-6 months. Ankle surgery is finally recommended.November 27, 2009: Van Persie’s ankle is put in plaster as he awaits ankle surgery by a Dutch specialist.December 4, 2009: Van Persie undergoes surgery which Arsene Wenger said went off successfully.
You allow for a week with radiological investigations and the necessary course of action to repair RVP’s completely torn ankle ligaments. But it is clear that the Dutch medical authorities probably pressurized into painting an initial rosy picture cost RVP at least two weeks in receiving the correct treatment and a headstart on his rehabilitation.
First of we should be grateful that RVP did not sustain a career ending injury and through a successful ankle surgery is back on the pitch and from the looks of it, raring to go. But if he had undergone ankle surgery in time and spared his Serbian unicorn, he would have been on the field against Barcelona in the second leg and more importantly against Birmingham. A win against them and a tied game against Spurs sounds a lot better than a draw and a loss.
A differential of three points and just a win behind Chelsea. We could have been right in it.